


The Quality of Mercy

by HarpforHim



Series: A Series of Six Clone Wars Novellas [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives Deserves Better, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives Needs a Hug, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives is a Good Bro, CT-6116 | Kix is a Good Bro, CT-7567 | Rex Needs a Hug, CT-7567 | Rex is a Good Bro, Clones, Gen, Mentioned Pong Krell, POV Alternating, POV CT-7567 | Rex, Planet Umbara (Star Wars), Post-Episode: s04e07 Darkness on Umbara, Post-Episode: s04e10 Carnage of Krell, Post-Umbara Arc (Star Wars), Protective CC-2224 | Cody, Worried CC-2224 | Cody
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:14:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29560350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarpforHim/pseuds/HarpforHim
Summary: “I was the one who did it, and I don’t sleep so well at night thinking about it.”“Me neither, I keep—!” Rex sucked in a breath, stopping himself before his voice rose too high. “I keep thinking: what if he might’ve lived...?”Too soon after Umbara, an old friend admits to mercy-killing a Jedi general, thrusting Rex into a desperate struggle against his conscience—a struggle that threatens to drive a stake between his brotherly relationship with Fives.
Series: A Series of Six Clone Wars Novellas [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1927897
Comments: 3
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third story in my Clone Wars/Bonanza Novella Collection, however, this one ended up surpassing the novella word count and turned into a full length novel. It takes place after My Brother's Keeper, but reading that one isn't necessary to understand this fic's plot. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Also, I WILL be finishing My Brother's Keeper soon, I simply need to get inspired to write the last two chapters. For anyone following that fic, I greatly appreciate your patience. <3

**Mando'a Translations**

Vod'ika—Little Brother

Ori'vod—Big brother

Vod—Brother

Vode—Brothers

Di'kut—Idiot

* * *

Someone once told him that time was relative, and if he was honest, it was probably a Jedi. But during his short career as Captain of the 501st, he'd learned that time was actually the most solid, most absolute aspect of life.

It changed, but in ways that were predictable, familiar. It was the one constant of the war, the only thing he could truly depend upon.

And they were all running out of it—every last one of them.

" _We need to break the line before nightfall!"_ General Skywalker's agitated voice blasted through Rex's comlink _. "Come on, boys, let's move it, here!"_

"Copy that, sir," Rex replied, keeping his own tone steady. "Keep this line clear!"

And just like that, Fives and Jesse ended their frivolous conversation. This was no time for sarcastic comments and witty banter.

Not that Rex truly blamed them. The campaign had been a long one already and they were only halfway through their mission.

Dodging a string of blaster fire, blue and white armored captain pressed on.

_Time. We're running out of time._

The comlink on his arm crackled with commands and calls for backup, clashing against the agonizing screams that pierced the air every other minute. Kix and Helix would have their hands full, that was certain.

" _Captain, look out!"_

Fives' frantic warning came just in time and Rex dove out of the way of an oncoming missile.

From his place on the chilled patch of dirt, the seasoned trooper shouted his next orders into his comlink. "We need to take out their tanks!"

" _Way ahead of you, Rex."_ How General Skywalker always managed to sound so confident in the heat of battle still amazed him.

It was adrenaline that forced him back into his feet, and Cody's helping hand that kept him there.

"You all right?"

"Fine." Rex brushed himself off, an instinctive motion that served practically no use to his grime-coated plates of armor. Still, it made him feel better nonetheless. "We're running out of time."

The commander simply nodded, a grim movement that set what little hair Rex had on his nearly clean-shaven head on edge.

It hadn't taken the troopers long to figure out that the nights on Daelic were deadly. With no moon to light the thick blanket of black that choked every living thing on the planet's surface, it was impossible to fight a battle past sunset—or even plan sneak attacks into enemy territory.

 _As if that's not enough,_ Rex thought as his brother answered his own general's incoming comm, _we have just over a week before our supplies run out._

And without their supply of oxygen tanks to battle the toxic night air, they would be hard pressed to activate their ray shield before sundown.

Which meant they had to get the Seppies off their backs first.

" _This is by far the wackiest planet I've ever been to."_

"Fives!" Rex snapped into his comm. "I told you to keep this line clear!"

No reply.

Rex turned to Cody. "Well? Any ideas?"

"What? You don't think General Skywalker's plan is going to work?"

"No, I _don't_ think he can take out three tanks on his own, Jedi or not. Cody, we're running out of _time._ " Rex paused to fire several blind shots into the gathering darkness. "If we don't break through this line in the next ten minutes, most of us aren't gonna make it back to shelter before nightfall."

"Right."

Back-to-back, the two soldiers fought their way through a thick group of battle droids, making for the row of tanks several klicks ahead. It was a nimble dance the duo had practiced to perfection, so much so that it had become mindless to them both, leaving room for much more important brain activity.

Such as coming up with a new plan.

The plan had been simple at the start: General Kenobi would lead an advance on the far left of the Separatist line while General Skywalker took the middle. General of the 323rd, Bastian Styrne, and his Padawan would destroy the forces on the far right, leaving Cody and Rex's team to take care of the gaps. As Rex led Torrent Company through the rocky terrain, however, he realized all too quickly that this would be anything but simple.

"We need to disable that tank before it tramples any more troopers," Rex continued and he felt Cody stiffen behind him.

That was never a good sign.

"I've got an idea," the gold painted commander said.

Rex resisted the urge to roll his eyes, then gave into his annoyance as his thick helmet would hide the look anyway.

"If you're about to say what I _think_ you're about to say, don't."

"Do you see any other options?"

Dodging a blaster bolt that nearly had his name on it, Rex fought the urge to groan. "Well, no, but that doesn't mean—"

"I promise I'll make it quick this time."

"That's what you said _last_ time."

"And we did it in record time. Come on, _vod'ika._ "

Rex double checked his comm status, breathing a sigh of relief only when he was certain he was offline. That just left Cody's…

 _Blast it!_ If one of his men had heard the commander referring to him as "baby brother," they would never let him live it down. _And they might never take me seriously again._

"Cody," he ground out through clenched teeth, though he could already feel his resolve weakening, "we're the same age."

"Not by my calculations."

Another wild blast of red had Rex knocking into his comrade in a desperate attempt to keep Cody's neck from turning hollow. "Have you ever thought that maybe—oh, I don't know—your calculations might be a bit off? Or are you just delusional?"

"I always thought you were a better sport than this, Rex."

"Not"—A grunt slipped past his lips as a disarmed assassin droid dove at his midsection, shoving him backwards into Cody—"when I'm playing a rigged game!" With a sharp kick, he drove the droid into the ground, blasting a hole in its chest on the way down. "And right now, we're losing."

"Not if we do it."

"No."

He felt Cody whip out a small thermal detonator and send it flying towards the nearest cluster of droids. "It's our best bet."

"It's embarrassing!"

"What other choice do we have?"

Rex's sigh almost cleared his lungs of all oxygen, but he found himself relenting. "Fine. But… can't you be the captive this time?"

Cody shook his head. "We have it practiced the other way around."

"What's to practice?"

"We're wasting daylight debating this, _vod'ika_ ," Cody replied, his understanding tone doing nothing to ease Rex's annoyance. "I promise I'll make it up to you."

Another sigh.

"All right. Let's just get it over with, then."

Cody's comm was activated in seconds. "Boil, Crys. Prepare the grenades. We're doing Surrender."

" _Copy that, Commander."_

Flicking his own comlink on, Rex waited for the channel to clear before giving out his own orders. "Fives! I need you and Jesse to cover Boil and Crys. They're gonna make a break for the tank."

" _Copy that,"_ Fives returned, his voice overlapping with a distance scream. _"But are you crazy? It's surrounded by clankers. There's no way they can take it out alone!"_

"They won't be alone."

With that, he turned back to Cody, who nodded.

"Ready?"

"Yeah." If it came out more as a grumble, that wasn't his intention. He could almost see Cody's raised eyebrow behind the mask. "Sure."

"Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it."

Rex slapped his blaster into Cody's hand. "It'd better work."

"It always does."

Resigned to his fate, Rex clasped his hands over his head in the perfect surrender position. Cody's gloved fingers curled around his shoulder and they were off, dreading through the battlefield as if they were invincible.

And for a brief moment, Rex almost felt like they were. Then, a blast of red singed the top of his helmet and he was cruelly reminded that he could perish at any moment.

Any one of them could vanish without a single word. Just a piercing shriek or a dull grunt.

Rex fixed his eyes firmly on the target ahead. _Not today._

"Hold your fire!" Cody's booming voice cut through the chaos and Rex held his breath. "Hold your fire! I've come to surrender!"

A beat, then another. This was the moment Rex hated the most: the moment of waiting.

Waiting to find out whether their plan was going to work, or if they would fall to the ground with blaster bolts searing holes through their chests.

 _Surrender_ was a ruse they had developed towards the beginning of the war, shortly following the 501st and 212th's first few missions together. Playing on the inherent stupidity and lack of critical thinking found in B-1 battle droids was key, but sometimes—though very rarely—the thin little things surprised Rex with an unexpected flash of ingenuity.

It was in those moments that the two brothers were forced to make a hasty retreat.

 _We can't afford that this time around,_ Rex realized grimly as Cody marched him forward. _Come on, come on! Take the bait…_

All they needed to do was buy enough time for Boil and Crys to slip around the back of the tank undetected and plant the explosives.

Several painful seconds later, during which Rex had quite forgotten to breathe, the droid in charge cocked his head, the closest thing to "quizzical" the metal soldier could achieve.

"Hold your fire!" He commanded, looking to his fellow droids for input. Rex released the breath he'd been holding.

_Finally._

As the droids ceased fire, Cody pressed on with the charade. "You've proven there's no way for us to win this, so it thought to myself: why even try?" With a light shove, he pushed Rex forward. "I brought you a prisoner in exchange for my release from this battle. You let me walk away unharmed and he's yours."

"Wait…" The head droid turned to his comrades. "Do we take prisoners?"

Their squeaky metallic voices ground against Rex's nerves, but he held his position, his fingers itching to put a few holes through their pointed heads.

"I don't think so…" another replied.

"Yeah? Well, at least take this one!" And with that, he felt Cody grip his shoulder and utility belt mere seconds before propelling him through the air…

… Into the cluster of bewildered battle droids.

With a somersault that almost rivaled the acrobatics of a Jedi, Rex barreled through the line, knocking the clankers down before their circuits could reroute.

Before they realized they'd been had.

Using his legs, Rex took out as many droids as he could before jumping to his feet and snapping a few necks.

"Rex!"

He turned just in time to catch his DC-17s, one for each hand, as Cody tossed them into the air.

Then the real battle began.

"Boil!" Cody's muted voice crackled through the air. "How's it coming?"

The lieutenant's reply must have gone through a private channel because the conversation seemed very one-sided to Rex.

"What do you mean by _complication?_ "

Rex's blood froze over, making it harder to move; harder to fight.

"What's going—?" But his words vanished, stolen off his tongue by a low rumble. _Oh, kriff…_

Seconds later, Cody was racing towards him like a madman. "We have to get out of here!"

"What?" Rex took down a nearby droid before it blasted his brother's head off.

But Cody didn't appear to be listening. Instead, his orders blasted through the main comm channel. "Retreat! I want everyone within twenty feet of tank four to fall back! _Now!_ "

Fire now melted the ice, blazing through his veins and spiking red-hot blood into his heart until he was sure it would explode.

"Cody! We can't leave without—!" The ground rumbled again, and Rex finally began to realize it wasn't the earth that was shaking—it was the massive tank behind him.

"There's no time!"

 _No. No!_ They couldn't give up without a fight. And yet, as Rex fired off another volley of charges, he wondered if he was truly willing to give his life to take out a single tank.

_It won't bring you any closer to winning the war…_

_Yeah._ Rex fixed his blasters on the shuddering vehicle. _But every little bit counts._

Cody's arms were around him, flinging him backwards; dragging him away from the chaos.

Away from victory.

"Cody, we can't—!"

A sudden weight slammed onto his back and, not being able to withstand the pressure, Rex fell to his knees as pain shot through his left arm.

"Get down!"

A breath later, his helmet was biting the dust.

Heart hammering, Rex threw his hands over his head for the second time that evening, as if their frail presence would shield him from whatever was to come.

He had barely registered Cody's body slammed against his own when the blast came.

The sky exploded in a flash of white light.

Gasping for air, Rex closed his eyes and knew no more.


	2. Chapter Two

"Okay, but how was _I_ supposed to know Crys would set off the countdown prematurely?"

"My fingers slipped!"

Rex bit back a groan as the two brothers continued to argue.

"We can't _afford_ slip ups on a mission like this." Boil eyed his younger companion with disdain. "You could've blown us all sky high!"

"Hey! But I didn't, all right?"

"And it's done now," Cody declared, voice stern as he passed by the group. "There's no reason to bring it up again. Everyone's safe and the line is broken. Now knock it off or I'll court-martial you both."

The threat was a weak one, but tensions had been high the previous evening as the three armies raced against the clock to make camp, and the stress level had only risen since then.

Rex had no doubt, if pushed hard enough, that his brother would follow through on the threat.

Boil wisely shut his mouth and Crys averted his eyes, suddenly finding the clouded sky to be of great interest.

"Come on, Rex." Cody said, giving his brothers one last withering look. "Let's not keep the generals waiting."

"A court-martial," Rex inquired once they were out of earshot. "Really?"

Cody shrugged. "It was the only thing I could think of at the moment." He nudged Rex. "How's your arm?"

The movement was instinctive, his fingers dancing over it almost as if he had to check to make sure the limb was still there. "It'll be fine."

"Because _that_ was reassuring."

"Well," Rex replied with a smirk, "I try."

Cody snorted, shaking his head.

"Besides," the captain went on, "with any luck, we'll be out of here in less than a week."

"And you think a sprained wrist can hold out that long?"

Rex didn't get a chance to reply as Fives joined them from the left, jogging over with energy enough for them all.

"Have you heard anything from General Styrne's men yet?"

Cody simply scoffed as Rex gave a half-hearted shrug.

"We haven't even seen the commander yet," he replied. "They've all been fighting so far down the line."

"Well, I'm just hoping the commander is nicer than the general," Fives quipped, earning an eye roll from Cody.

"Oh, come on. He's not _that_ bad."

The look on Fives' face made it clear he didn't agree with his captain. "Sure, if you don't like smiling. I mean, really. I've yet to see the man so much as twitch the corner of his lips."

"He's effective," Cody chimed in, his tone all business. "And that's all that matters."

Fives raised a brow. "Is it? I don't know about you, but he creeps me out. I wouldn't want to be _his_ ARC trooper."

"Fives," Cody began with a resigned sigh, "you wouldn't survive under any other Jedi but General Skywalker."

"Hey! I resent that."

"Fine by me."

"At least he calls us by our names," Rex mumbled, noticing the way his brothers' faces softened slightly.

"Yeah, okay," Fives said after a tense moment, trying to keep his voice light. "He's not a _complete_ monster."

"I'd knock it off if I were you, trooper," Cody snapped, his eyes darting about the vast camp. "Before someone hears you. That's no way to talk about a Jedi General."

"He's just…" Rex flashed a smirk at Fives. " _Stern._ "

This elicited another scoff from Cody.

"Do you think he picked his own last name?" Fives whispered as they neared the briefing circle. "Or did he just decide one day that he'd live up to it? Or maybe he was just jinxed at birth—"

"I said knock it off!" Cody hissed under his breath before breaking off from the group in order to join his general.

"What's eating him?"

Rex shrugged. "Your presence?"

Smacking a hand against his chest plate, Fives feigned a shot to the heart. "What an unexpected revelation!"

General Kenobi's soft accent derailed any snarky retort Rex might've come up with. "You're just in time, gentlemen."

Rex and Fives nodded in unison, showing respect for the High General before settling in the circle alongside their own general.

On the other side of the holomap, General Styrne stood tall, his dark orange and black tattooed arms crossed firmly against his broad chest. Rex purposefully didn't shift his gaze towards the top of the Zabrak's head as the horns crowning his skull still made the captain want to shiver. Perhaps it was just the way he refused to file them down like General Eeth Koth, or the thought of them impaling someone, as was the terrible fate of the recently deceased Master Gallia.

Or perhaps, the horns simply enhanced the general's already gruff presence.

_Or you could just admit it to yourself,_ a small inside scolded. _Admit that he reminds you of Krell and be done with it._

Krell before things got bad.

_Stop kidding yourself, they were always bad._

_You should've known from the start what he was._

_But you didn't._

_You_ _**didn't.** _

_And now look where you are._

Rex stiffened beside Fives, hoping the involuntary motion would go undetected by his brother. If the ARC trooper noticed, he didn't show any signs.

_Now look…_

If he could only get the horrible voice, his inner critic to stop, _stop!_ Then he'd be fine.

But no. _No. Stop it!_

_You're not wary of Styrne,_ the voice persisted. _You're afraid of yourself. You're afraid that if he turns out to be just like Krell, you won't be able to catch on in time._

_Again._

_Oh wait… You_ _**did** _ _notice last time. You just chose not to do anything about it._

_Stop it…_

He could almost picture the demonized version of his inner self flashing a wicked smile.

_Thought any about Hardcase recently?_

_Stop it…_

_What about Waxer? Remember him?_

_Stop!_

_Or maybe—_

General Skywalker's whispered words beside him silenced the voice long enough for Rex to banish it once more to the depths. He heaved a small sigh.

"Ten credits says Fives won't last five minutes without subtly mouthing off to General Styrne."

"Twenty says he will," Rex returned.

"What?" Fives whispered, coming into the private conversation seconds too late.

"Nothing." General and Captain said in unison, earning a suspicious glance from General Kenobi and an unamused stare from Styrne.

"As I was saying," Kenobi continued with a light cough, "the droid factory is our main objective. It's nearly finished and hasn't yet begun production. If we can demolish it, we'll ensure it never will."

"Honestly, how many of these things are the Seps going to build?" Anakin commented, his blue eyes studying the map with extreme disgust.

"Well," Kenobi replied with a tiny smirk, "we _do_ keep destroying them, don't we?"

"Let's just hope this is the last one."

"I highly doubt it." And Rex had to force himself not to react. General Styrne's deep voice always caught him off guard.

_Krell had a deep voice_ …

_Shut up!_

"However, if we can take this one out," the general continued, "we'll be that much closer to winning the war."

_Right._

Anakin was nodding. "So, were you thinking explosives? Blowing the whole thing up?"

"Do we even have enough for something that big?" Cody questioned, glancing at his general.

Kenobi cupped a hand to his beard, stroking at it in his signature contemplative move. Rex knew that whatever he was going to say next would be good.

The 212th General was a stellar strategist.

"The factory is built into the side of this mountain," Kenobi began thoughtfully, his finger tracing the outline of the transparent blue map. "Perhaps we can use that to our advantage."

Anakin was nodding eagerly now, catching on quick. Sometimes, Rex wondered if the two shared the same wavelength. They knew each other that well.

"If we divide up what explosives we have, we can plant just enough on the inside of the factory to weaken its base, while using the rest to create a landslide that will bury what's left."

Kenobi's oceanic eyes were shining. "Exactly. We'll let the mountain do most of the work for us. However, it will take exact timing and skill to infiltrate the factory."

"Yeah," Anakin added, his tone deflating a bit. "And we'll need to make sure whoever plants the bombs inside has time to get out so that the team on top doesn't accidentally bury them with their own charges."

"On top of that," General Styrne said, "we'll need to maintain the element of surprise. This mission will fail without it."

"Right…" Kenobi went back to stroking his beard.

Rex furrowed his brows as he studied the map.

"I'm seeing three teams here," Cody offered. "Maybe even four or five. Two small stealth groups to plant the bombs, a larger one to take care of any opposition around the perimeter of the factory, and two to be used as backup just in case the factory stealth group gets their cover blown."

Rex found himself nodding along with Kenobi.

"That will take many men to pull off," Styrne mused.

"Well, we certainly have the numbers," Kenobi returned. "It's simply a matter of who will lead each team."

Anakin spoke up next. "I think it'd also be a good idea to keep a platoon or two stationed here to ensure the Separatists don't retake this camp."

"Right," Kenobi agreed.

"My Padawan will stay behind and hold the line here," Styrne declared. "Along with several of my platoons. My captain and I will take a small team of men into the factory."

Anakin nodded his approval along with Kenobi.

"My ARC troopers and I can create the landslide. You up for it, Fives?" Anakin turned to the trooper, who nodded and smiled.

"Always, sir."

"Good." Then, he glanced back at Kenobi and Styrne. "It should only take a few of us to plant the explosives. I'll leave Ahsoka with Commander Cotyn, just in case they end up meeting a little more resistance than expected."

At that, Rex noticed the dark shadow that passed over the Zabrak's face. "Let us hope not. Silia is still too inexperienced to hold off any number of droids alone."

"She'll hardly be alone, sir."

Fives' comment had Rex sneaking a glance at Anakin out of the corner of his eye.

" _Does that count?"_ The look seemed to say.

Anakin simply shook his head, leaving Rex to wonder if it had been longer than five minutes yet.

Choosing to ignore Fives, Styrne continued, "General Kenobi, I assume that means you'll be taking your troops in as back up?"

"Actually," Kenobi said with a quick glance at Cody, "I was thinking Boil and I would take his platoon along with several of the 501st around the perimeter as a distraction while Cody and Rex lead the two back up teams."

This earned a sigh from Anakin. "Why is it you're always making yourself the bait?"

"Someone has to," Kenobi replied with a smirk.

"Sir," Cody began and Rex noted the hesitation in his eyes, "I don't think…"

At this, Kenobi chuckled. "I'll be fine, Cody.

Cody dipped his head. "It's a habit hard to break, sir."

"Though one no less appreciated." At this calm reassurance, Cody grinned.

Anakin was the one to swing them all back on track and Rex could tell by the slight edge to his voice that the general was ready to be done with this briefing.

Seeing as it had been longer than five minutes and Fives' hadn't so much as looked at General Styrne the wrong way.

"All it comes down to now is the timing." Rex watched as his general's dark brows furrowed. "If the mountain team is even the slightest bit off…"

Rex suppressed a sudden shiver at Anakin's unspoken words.

_We'll all be buried in an early grave._

"General Styrne," Kenobi said, eyes never leaving the map, "how long do you think it will take you and your men to plant the bombs?"

"That all depends on our ability to slip in undetected. Off-hand, I would estimate needing a solid fifteen minutes, which would include getting both in _and_ out."

Kenobi hummed low. "Yes, and getting _out_ is the most important part."

"Fifteen minutes?" Anakin balked. "That's a pretty… _confident_ timeframe."

"It's gonna take you half that time just to get inside," Fives added.

Styrne fixed Anakin with a most unamused stare, completely ignoring the ARC trooper's statement. "And what, General Skywalker, would the 'correct' time frame be?"

"Ah," Fives' sudden drawl sent Rex's heart racing, "I thought you wouldn't know that one, General."

Rex itched to run a tired hand over his face.

And Anakin _choked_ , earning a harsh glare from his former Master.

Fives, for his part, was obviously trying to keep his smile from turning smug as Styrne blinked in his direction, no doubt shocked by the clone's newest bit of sarcasm.

The looks Kenobi shot Anakin screamed _get a hold of yourself!_ But the young general was clearly on the verge of losing it.

"I'm sorry… General…" Anakin forced out in between phases of biting his lip and sucking in breaths. "I don't—"

With one last scornful glance at Anakin, Kenobi addressed the company, though his eyes were fixed on Styrne. "Why don't we break here while you get your Padawan and Captain up to date, then we can reconvene in order to finalize the last of the plan."

"That's just as well." And with a nod, Styrne moved to leave, but not before flashing Fives a hard glare. "That one needs to learn his place."

"I'm trying, sir," Fives shot back easily.

Rex could've died right there and been all the happier for it.

Styrne grunted. "Not hard enough, it would seem."

Torn between burning imaginary holes in the back of the retreating general and following his own escaping general, Rex chose the latter, promptly trailing after Anakin as he disappeared into the nearest tent.

The one that, ironically, just happened to be Fives, Kix, and Jesse's tent.

And what happened next… well, Rex couldn't honestly say it caught him by surprise.

Anakin blew out the string of laughs that had been clogging his throat since Fives' untimely comment.

"Uh, sir…? Are you okay?"

Tears were streaming down the Jedi's cheeks now, his face a contorted mess of hilarity. Between bouts of insane laughter, Anakin coughed out his response. "I… I will be, Rex… It's fine… I'm fine…"

"Sir," Rex began, proceeding with caution, "Fives was out of line back there and needs to be—"

"I know, I know!" Anakin laughed. "I'll take care of it later. But _stang!_ That was so unexpectedly _good!_ "

_Good? It was downright suicidal!_

"General Styrne doesn't seem to share your sentiments, sir."

"General Styrne needs to lighten up, if we're being honest."

"Still, Fives can't continue with this behavior." _If he wants to keep his head intact._

The memory of the way the Besalik general had threatened Fives with his double-bladed saber back on Umbara assaulted Rex's mind.

That dark planet of hell….

_Stop it! Styrne is_ _**not** _ _Krell._

_And even if he was, General Skywalker is here this time._

_General Skywalker will—_

"I'll talk to him, Rex, don't stress yourself out."

"Just don't congratulate him this time, sir." Rex couldn't keep the smirk off his face now. "Please?"

Anakin crossed his heart. "I promise. Don't worry, I'm sure Styrne can take a good joke."

"Too bad that wasn't one, sir."

"You're almost as bad as Fives, do you know that?"

Rex simply smirked wider.

Because General Skywalker was here.

No one was going to abandon him this time.

And General Styrne wasn't Krell.

Krell was dead.

Rex only wished his memory would die along with him.


	3. Chapter Three

"I still can't believe you said that."

Fives resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his captain. "General Skywalker already chewed me out for that, all right? I've learned my lesson."

His brother's face was the epitome of disbelief. "That's what you said last time. And—"

"The time before that, I _know_." Fives heaved a sigh. "I just can't help it, okay?"

Rex cocked a brow.

"He grates on my nerves and I just can't help myself."

Now it was Rex's turn to sigh, rubbing a thumb over his creased forehead. "Is it really that hard to hold your tongue?"

Fives answered with a half-hearted shrug.

"Well," Rex went on, straightening as the two continued their stroll through camp, "once we knock out this factory, the mission will be over. We'll all go our separate ways and with any luck, you'll never see General Styrne again."

A snort escaped Fives' lips. _And that'll still be too soon, so they say._

"Have you seen Commander Tano lately?" He asked, moving the spotlight off himself so he would no longer feel the need to squirm.

Rex shook his head. "Not since this morning. The general says she's been busy taking a supply count with Commander Cotyn."

"And?"

A shrug was all the reply Fives received.

He blew out a breath. "Let's just hope we have enough explosives to pull this off."

"At least you won't have to be _inside_ the factory."

"Hey, General Styrne seemed pretty confident in himself," Fives returned with a smirk. "You and Cody might not even have to move an inch. Just find a nice place to hide out and catch up on some much needed rest."

"And let you have all the fun?" Rex grinned. "Never."

"Ah, so we're having _fun_ now, huh?"

Rex rolled his eyes. Honestly, his captain switched far too often between calling it _fun_ and reminding them all that _this is a war, men, so I don't wanna see anyone goofing around._

Fives grinned. _Sir, yes, sir._

"Seriously Fives, it's okay to…"

And for a moment, the illustrious Captain Rex seemed to phase out. Fives resisted the urge to wave a hand in front of his brother's eyes.

No, he didn't need another lecture about the time and place for nonsense.

"Uh, Rex…? It's okay to what?" Nothing. The captain simply _stared_. Stared off into the distance like a character from one of those cheesy holo-dramas Kix liked to watch. And it was beginning to freak the ARC trooper out. "Rex? What is it?"

When his brother muttered something that sounded suspiciously like Rex's own name, Fives concern level heightened tenfold.

He tried to follow his captain's gaze, but all he saw was a sea of brothers working hard to put their plan into action. "Rex?"

Fives felt a hand briefly clap his shoulder and he was caught off guard by the way it trembled. And then Rex was walking away, a walk that quickly turned into a sprint. Then, an all out _run_.

"Rex, what—?" Fives was dashing after his brother the second he recovered from his momentary shock. He had _never_ seen his captain act this way.

This was how a shiny behaved, not the Captain of the 501st. And it was all Fives could do to try to catch up with him.

He would've been blind not to notice all the looks and stares they were getting, but he couldn't find the time or energy to care.

Then, just as abruptly as he'd begun, Rex slowed to a stop not three feet from a brother Fives had never seen before. The trooper was decked out in standard Phase II armor painted a dark shade of violet. Across his creased forehead stretched a faint white scarline, which disappeared into his short brown hair.

What stuck out the most to Fives, however, were the tiny clusters of diamond tattoos that ran along both his cheeks. They reminded Fives of Commander Tano's little friend. What was her name…? _Barris_?

_Commander Offee. That was it._

Fives pulled to a halt inches behind Rex, breathing heavy from his short, unexpected sprint across camp.

For a long, uncertain moment, no one spoke, and Fives kept his eyes fixed on his brother.

Watching.

Waiting.

Wondering.

It was the stranger who broke the silence in the end. "Rex…?"

He heard his captain suck in a shaky breath before grinding out his reply. "How about letting a brother know you're alive, huh?"

Fives heard the sharp crack before his brain could even comprehend the way Rex's knuckles smashed against one of those tattooed cheeks, sending the clone stumbling backwards.

The worst of it was that Fives wasn't even sure if the man deserved the punch.

_Should I call General Skywalker…?_

The thought of ratting out his own Captain didn't settle well in his stomach, but he also didn't want Rex to do something he'd regret.

_Don't be a Dogma,_ he warned himself as the stranger staggered back towards Rex, pulling his body upright once again. _Don't be…_

_Dogma…_

_No!_ Now was _not_ the time to wonder what had happened to his brother after security took him away. Now was not the time…

"Rex, I can explain," the injured brother began, but Rex wouldn't have it. He reached out again and Fives was fully prepared this time to stop his brother before things got ugly.

Instead of launching into a fistfight, however, Rex pulled the stranger close and threw his arms around him, squeezing so tightly, Fives feared the other clone might run out of breath any minute.

"I thought I was the last of us," he heard Rex say in tones sounding far too similar to a whimper. "I thought—"

A choked sob cut off whatever Rex was about to say next and Fives found himself suddenly rooted to the ground.

Who _was_ this brother who could make his captain act like a shiny fresh off the ship from Kamino?

"You're not the last," the stranger whispered, returning the embrace with an intensity that matched Rex's own. "I'm still here. I'm here, vod."

A cough from Fives was all Rex needed to be reminded of his presence, and with obvious reluctance, the captain pried himself out of the embrace.

Despite the choked sob, Rex's eyes were surprisingly dry, if not a bit glazed over. Fives' expression must have betrayed his utter confusion because the captain offered a small smile.

"Fives," he began after clearing his throat, "this is Rik, my batch mate and the last of Dune Squad."

"Well, I can't very well be the last if you're still here," the clone replied with a playful nudge to Rex's arm.

The smile he received in return was bittersweet.

And yes, Fives was _definitely_ talking to Rex about all this later.

"It's an honor," Fives said, offering up his hand to Rik, who shook it firmly.

"Rik," Rex continued, "this is Fives, one of the finest ARC troopers and soldiers I've ever had the pleasure of serving alongside."

Rik's eyebrows rose considerably. "ARC trooper? The 501st always has all the good stuff. If you wouldn't mind suggesting the idea of ARCs to General Styrne, I'd be much obliged."

"I'll see what I can do," Rex said with a grin.

"Good luck with that, Captain," Fives couldn't help but quip. To his surprise, both Rex and Rik looked at him in response.

"Captain?" Rik exclaimed. "So they _did_ promote you! I always knew it! Didn't I tell you back on Kamino?" Fives noted the way Rex subtly rolled his eyes. "I said, 'Rex, if they don't make you a captain, I swear I'll—'"

"All right!" Rex laughed. "I get it! Yes, they made me captain, but I—"

"And how's that going for you?"

At this, Rex shrugged, and Fives suddenly felt as though he were intruding on a private conversation. "It… took a lot of getting used to."

"Even though you were built to lead," Rik insisted."

"Maybe."

Fives bit out a scoff, earning a glance from Rik.

"Oh, no." The 323rd soldier shook his head. "Don't tell me this di'kut still sells himself short."

Despite the warning look shot his way by Rex, Fives smirked. "I didn't know that was a trait he picked up in the academy."

"Fives…"

The ARC just batted the warning tones away as if they were dust in the wind.

"Well," Rik said at last, "that makes two of us then."

"What, you sell yourself short, too?" Fives could've facepalmed. "Please don't tell me your entire batch was like you two."

A laugh bubbled from Rik's throat. "No, no! I meant, I'm a captain as well."

Golden beams of pride shone from Rex's face. "Captain Rik of the 323rd. I have to say, it does have a nice ring to it."

"Doesn't it?"

"And here," Rex told Fives, "you can see that this man _never_ sells himself short. In fact, sometimes, he does the exact _opposite_."

"I still don't know what's worse," Rik commented as Rex slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Trust me, yours is _definitely_ worse."

"At least I take pride in myself and my accomplishments."

"Too much pride, if you ask me."

"Wait a minute," Fives interjected, breaking up the banter in favor of his own needs. "So, you serve under General Styrne?"

Another short laugh burst from Rik. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Fives folded his arms across his chest. "Isn't it?"

"Uh," Rex broke in just as Rik opened his mouth to speak, "what he means is, well, some of us don't exactly understand the general. It's nothing against him personally,"— _Liar,_ Fives silently shot back at his brother—"it's only…"

Rik was nodding before Rex had even finished. "He's a far cry from the infamous General Skywalker."

Fives hoped his shocked disgust was reflected clearly on his face for all to see. " _Infamous_?"

"Come on, he _is_ known for his…" Rik pretended to search for the words Fives knew already danced on the tip of his tongue, " _unorthodox_ methods."

"Oh, and I suppose you think Styrne is more effective?"

" _Fives..."_ Rex's eyes warned, but the ARC wasn't about to let his general's reputation go down without a fight.

"Have you seen our casualty counts?"

At a loss for words, Fives simply glared at the captain.

"We have the second lowest in the entire GAR." And there, he supposed, was that pride Rex mentioned earlier.

"And the record for lowest goes to the 212th." Cody's no-nonsense tones broke down the wall of irritation Fives had been building, and with a subtle prompt from Rex, he reluctantly backed off. "So, break it up, children. There's too much going on right now for infighting."

Rex's response was too predictable. "This wasn't infighting. We were just discussing the generals, Cody."

The commander cocked a brow. "Whatever you want to call it, there's still no time. Unless you all want to be late for the final briefing with Commanders Tano and Cotyn?"

Wisely, no one spoke.

"I thought not. Come on, then. The generals have already gathered."

With a wave, Cody beckoned them all to follow him—no excuses.

As Rex fell into step beside Rik, the two began catching up on each other's lives and Fives realized quickly that it would be better for him to walk next to Cody, as undesirable as the prospect might be.

Honestly, the commander reminded him of Wolffe, who acted as though he could bite your head off at any minute. While much less fierce, the all-business aura that surrounded Cody whenever he was around his men turned Fives off. Sure, the man had a job to do, but did he have to be so snippy all the time? The only time Fives had ever seen him loosen up was during the impromptu party celebrating the one year anniversary of Rex's promotion to Captain. Back then, Fives didn't even know Cody that well—or Rex, for that matter.

_And I_ _ **still**_ _haven't unlocked the mystery that is Commander Cody,_ he thought as he hurried up alongside the trooper.

Maybe he just saved the attitude specially for Fives.

_Wouldn't that be just like the barve._

No words were exchanged at first, Cody's fixed expression making it clear that conversing with the trooper who insulted General Styrne was not something he was chomping at the bit to do.

But Fives had burning questions that couldn't wait.

And he'd never been much good at waiting anyway.

"Did you know Rex was the last of his squad?" he blurted, clearly catching Cody by surprise. "Well, except for _him_." Jerking a thumb back at Rik, Fives tried not to focus on the way the two were so engrossed in each other's company.

_As if we're not even here._

"Yes," Cody replied curtly. "I'm assuming you didn't?"

Fives just shook his head.

"Well, don't take it personally. It's not something Rex likes to talk about."

"But he told you."

"It was more like I pried it out of him," Cody admitted with a tight smirk.

Fives couldn't stop the sigh that brushed past his lips. "I just wish he would've told me. I thought we were better friends than that."

"Look, I don't want you jumping to conclusions based on some small detail Rex just happened to keep from you," Cody said, his sharp-edged tone piercing Fives' soul. "It's nothing against you or your friendship. I bet _you_ wouldn't have talked to _him_ about your squad."

"Betcha I would have," Fives grumbled.

"No, you just didn't have to because Rex was already there when it happened." Cody's weary sigh surprised Fives and he wondered just how deep into the past the commander was going to dive. "Look, Rex lost most of his squad on Geonosis, the battle that started the war. The others followed shortly afterward. I wasn't present for any of it, but I know how much it…" A swallow. "How much it hurt him, and still does. But don't you think for a moment that his reticence nullifies your friendship. There are things I haven't even told him about me, and I'm sure there are things you haven't told him about _you_."

Fives cast his eyes downward, suddenly ashamed for ever doubting his friend.

"So, stop being such a shiny and move on, all right?" Cody finished before muttering something Fives' couldn't make out.

He nodded, still unable to look Cody in the eyes.

_Why are you always so selfish?_ The tiny voice in the back of his mind sounded far too much like Echo and he swallowed down his rising emotions.

_I'm trying not to be…_

_I just…_

Fives sighed, still blocking out the laughter ringing behind him.

_I don't know. I'm trying not to be, I swear._

_You didn't used to be that way._ Echo's voice was soft, gentle, pulling Fives back to a time when things were easier.

_We should've been ARC troopers together. You left too soon._

_I know._

Fives knew that there was no such thing as ghosts—except for whatever Force osik deceased Jedi had up their long, flowy sleeves. But sometimes, he couldn't help but hear his dead brother seemingly speak to him from beyond the grave.

Logic told him it was merely his memory of Echo that made him hear the brother because they'd known each other inside and out. Fives knew exactly how Echo would respond to every single thought that crossed his mind.

It was hope, or perhaps a demented fantasy, that let him believe Echo truly was responding to his doubts and fears. At the end of the day, however, Fives knew he had to stop kidding himself.

Echo was gone.

And he was never coming back.

Another bout of laughter bubbled behind him, forcing his mind back into reality.

It was a struggle to keep the frown off his face at the sound.

Echo was right. He never used to be like this.

When did he become so possessive?

_I'm not. I'm not possessive!_

_Then why are you resenting Rik for walking back into Rex's life even as we speak?_

_Stop it!_ _**We** _ _are not speaking! It's just me!_ _**Me!** _

_Just me…_

He'd lost so many brothers in his short life.

Echo. Hevy. Cutup. Droidbait. Hardcase. Dogma.

_I can't lose Rex, too._

_You won't._

Another swallow.

_How can you be so sure?_

He could almost see Echo's memory smile.

_Because I knew the captain, too. And he'll never let you go._

_Not without a fight._

While not the most reassuring of thoughts, especially as it was forced to combat against the poisonous seeds of jealousy, Fives took all he could get in the moment.

And marched on.

Because that's what good soldiers did.

And Fives _was_ a good soldier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dune Squad... *grins* Guess who just started reading Dune to be ready for when the movie comes out. ;)


	4. Chapter Four

The fire was warm, but his heart was still chilled.

He couldn't shake the jealousy and it was killing him. It didn't help that he had yet to talk with Rex alone—rather, without the presence of Rik.

Jesse kept giving him weird looks that made Fives fear he was being too obvious. But if Rex noticed anything at all, he sure didn't show it.

He kept running Cody's words through his head, as if repeating them might make the feeling go away.

And _stang_! Fives wished it would go away!

Rik was in the middle of a captivating story about a battle Fives had lost interest in ten minutes ago. Kix, however, was enthralled like the rest.

Rex was enraptured.

Shoving his feelings down, he scooted closer to Jesse, trying his best to pay attention.

He could do this.

Tomorrow they would fight the last of it, and then he'd never see the 323rd again.

A pang of guilt tore at his heart.

_Would you really wish that on your brother?_

Fives forced an interested grin.

_That's his batchmate, for crying out loud! The last of his squad._

_If it were you, don't you think Rex would be more supportive?_

Fives _knew_ he would.

And he had been.

He'd kept Fives and Echo together, putting them both in the 501st, making them _both_ ARC troopers.

Fives would never forget the way Rex had justified his feelings after the Citadel; the way he'd come alongside him, helping him mourn his brother.

Helping him move on.

_Who'd helped_ _**Rex** _ _when he lost his squad?_

Another wave of guilt churned his stomach and Fives had to fight off the rising nausea. He was sick of this war. Sick of losing brothers.

Sick of himself for resenting Rik for simply _surviving_.

"Well," Kix said with a slap to his armored thigh, "I have to say, as entertaining as that was…"

Jesse smirked when Kix didn't continue. "He's glad it was you and not him."

"Hey," one of the few gathered 323rd brothers replied goodnaturedly, "I don't think _any_ of us wanted to be there."

Rik shrugged. "It makes for an interesting story, at least."

"You can say that again." Rex's eyes danced. Fives couldn't remember seeing the amber orbs that lively since before…

He wouldn't even let himself _think_ the name of that hellish planet.

"So," Rik went on, turning his full attention on the small smattering of 501st boys fixed around the fire circle, "what were you all up to while we were battling krayt dragons on Tatooine, huh?"

A collective shadow fell across each blue-painted soldier's face. No one dared speak.

Fives chest seized and he kept an eye on Rex, who looked far too pale for his liking.

One of Rik's brothers filled the silence as if he hadn't even noticed it, reminding Fives of Hardcase…

"We weren't even doing anything to win the war!" His eyes were smiling, a stark contrast to Kix's hazy expression. "But the captain's right, it sure makes for a good story."

"And now it's about time we heard one of yours," Rik pressed and Fives found himself wishing the man would just shut up.

He waited on pins and needles as Rex sucked in shaky breath. Was he going to make them relive Umbara for the sake of a stupid campfire story?

_No. Not Rex. He won't even talk to us about it,_ Fives reasoned with himself, sparing a glance at Jesse, who fidgeted as if he would be anywhere else but there if he could.

It seemed an eternity before Rex replied. And when he did, Fives wished he hadn't.

He wished Rik had never asked his stupid question.

"It's…" Rex kept his gaze fixed on the fire, which had begun to fade as the night wore on. "... Not something you'd want to hear about."

As if sensing the shift in mood, Rik's comeback lacked its usual swagger. "Try me."

At this, Rex forced a smirk laced with an underlying sadness that cut Fives to the core. "I'm afraid it doesn't make a very good fireside story."

"Umbara's not something any of us wanna resurface." Fives could've punched Jesse for even mentioning the dreaded planet, but he settled for a not-so-light elbow jab to the side.

"And yet you just did, di'kut!" He hissed at his brother, falling short of conveying any animosity.

"Sorry! It slipped, okay?"

"Well, just watch it next time."

Jesse just nodded.

And with a look from Rex, they all moved on. Moved past the sickened silence; past Rik and the 323rd boys' questioning glances; past the memories Fives would never forget.

None of them would.

Out of respect for their fallen brothers who so needlessly lost their lives during the Umbaran campaign, but also because some things one just couldn't forget no matter how hard they tried.

And Fives was branded for life, as they all were.

"So," Rik began, loudly clearing his throat and giving Rex a playful nudge, "you never got up the nerve to dye your hair brown, huh?"

Fives didn't miss the way his brother flinched, though he doubted anyone else noticed as they were all too busy trying to shove away the unwanted memories. And these 323rd soldiers didn't know Rex like he did.

Or, like he _thought_ he did.

He put a clamp on the feelings of jealous betrayal before they could surface again.

"Wait, I always thought you'd dyed your hair blond," Fives remarked, taking a closer look at his brother's buzzed hair.

Rex seemed hesitant to reply and Fives immediately regretted ever asking. But there was no going back now. All his brothers were now leaning in close, as if afraid to miss a single word of their captain's explanation.

"Nah, I…" He rubbed a hand over the back of his blond head. "It's a… a defect. I came out of the tank this way. I was gonna dye it the right color, but… Well, you know how it is on Kamino. Anyway, by the time I was even allowed to get my hands on a bottle of dye, I didn't have the time for it. After that, I just forgot, I guess."

No one said anything.

Fives blinked.

_Just when you think you know a guy…_

_Stop it! No more of that sort of thinking!_

Rex barreled on, compensating for the stunned silence. "I don't see any use in taking the time to do it now. I mean, I'm used to it now, so it's fine."

Yet, it was clear to Fives that the defect still bothered his captain. Or perhaps, it was the early reactions to the unusual color that haunted him.

_Oh, Rex…_

Try as he might to brush it off, Fives could see right through him. He'd discovered this subtle power on Umbara. His captain hadn't exactly been the most transparent at that time, but Fives had learned to read him as an essential part of both their survival under General Krell.

The ability had only grown from there until he could tell what his brother was feeling at a glance.

He also found he could read Rik, though not as easily. Fives figured this was just because the captain was like an open book, purposefully unwrapping himself for all to see.

_Pride_ , Fives guessed, remembering the conversation from earlier that day.

"Well, Captain," Kix began with a smile, "I can't imagine you any other way."

"Yeah," Jesse added, sliding down the crate he was on and leaning back against it, "you'll never look better than you do now. And that's a compliment, so don't take it the wrong way."

Rex grinned. "I didn't. And, thanks, guys."

"Now, what about Crys?" Jesse asked and Kix snorted at the mention of the 212th brother.

"Come on! That man's hair is so _obviously_ bleached. And it always looks like a wreck."

"Aww, give the guy come slack," Fives said, though he was certain his face betrayed his amusement. "I'm sure he can't help it if his sense of style is lacking."

"You mean nonexistent," Kix remarked.

And for the first time since that morning, Fives didn't have to work to curb his envy. Rik and his brothers looked quite confused, having apparently not been well-acquainted yet with any of the 212th boys, who were absent from that particular fireside gathering.

_They're all probably off fussing over their general._ Yeah, Fives had noticed the way General Kenobi had limped away from their last briefing. _That's no doubt where General Skywalker is, too._

"Aww, are you guys having a campfire without me?" _Speaking of…_

As the general strolled into the group, a wide grin on his face, every 323rd trooper jerked to their feet and stood at attention.

Fives caught Rex's eyes and the two shared a wary look.

"Easy, boys, easy." Anakin waved his hands in a gesture of reassurance, a light chuckle gracing his warm tones. "The war is at a standstill for now. There's no need for formality. At _ease,_ " he added a bit more forcefully when none of the troopers moved.

Stiffly, cautiously, Rik lowered himself back down onto his box. The others followed shortly after, their leader having made the first move, having shown them it was all right.

Safe.

_Kriff._

Glancing once more at Rex, who had yet to get a little color back in his face, Fives scooted over so his general would have a place to sit.

To his credit, Anakin made a successful show of faking calm, as if the reaction his mere presence had evoked was perfectly normal. After a quick glance at Rex, which spoke volumes, he turned his attention to his men.

"So, what'd I miss?"

It took Rex a moment to create a genuine smile and Fives felt himself relaxing, too, as their general eased the tension choking the air with a simple grin.

"Not much, sir," Rex replied, and if Fives were Anakin, he would've believed it.

Only, he wasn't.

And he didn't.

He could still see tiny traces of uncertainty and discomfort floating beneath the surface of the violet troopers' passive expressions.

And he didn't miss the way Jesse fidgeted beside him as if he couldn't get comfortable—or wouldn't let himself get comfortable.

"Just Crys' hair," Kix chuckled, though it fell short of any true mirth.

Anakin grimaced. "Yeah… I've been trying to hint around about that to Obi-Wan, thinking maybe he'd suggest a change." He shrugged. "He says Crys can do what he wants."

"Yeah," Kix muttered, "at the expense of all our eyes."

Rex massaged his eyes with the tips of his fingers. "I feel like I already lived through this conversation." Turning to Anakin, he asked, "How's General Kenobi?"

"He'll be fine. If he doesn't keep pulling stupid stunts, that is. I remember this one time when…"

And just like that, Anakin captured the attention of all around him with the engrossing tale of his and Kenobi's battle escapades.

Halfway through the tale, Fives caught sight of Rex slipping through the shadows on the outskirts of the circle.

"Where're you going?" Jesse whispered as the ARC trooper made to stand.

"Tired," he lied. "I might be back later, but don't save my spot." Then, with a nod, he gestured at Tup, who was hesitantly making his way toward the group. "Hey, make the kid feel comfortable, okay?"

Following his gaze, Jesse motioned for Tup to come and sit beside him as Fives quickly picked up on Rex's trail.

The captain's tent was where Fives finally found him, a datapad clenched in his fists and a distant look in his eyes.

Fives made his presence known with a light cough. Rex barely glanced up.

"You don't want to hear about how General Skywalker nearly got his head blown off by an exploding droid?" the captain questioned, fingers flicking across the bright blue screen.

"Eh," Fives said, waving a dismissive hand, "I was there. I don't need to relive it."

Rex grunted before going back to his work—not that he'd even left it in the first place.

"Did you need something?"

"What? I need an excuse now to talk to my best friend?"

Rex shot him a knowing look. "No. But that's not why you're here."

Fives sighed. "Did you see the way they reacted?" A tight nod prompted him to continue. "Just like the 101st."

"General Styrne is _not_ Krell," Rex growled, though it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself of this than Fives. "They were just… startled."

"Sure, because that's such a normal way to greet a Jedi General." Fives rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "You have to admit, you haven't seen anything like that since we went to help the 101st after Krell's execution."

"And what good will that do? Say I agree with you and admit it aloud. Then what, Fives? It doesn't change what happened and it won't change the future. We have a battle to win tomorrow. We need to keep our minds centered on _that_ and nothing else."

Taking a few steps further into the tiny quarters, Fives debated making himself at home or not. "Are you all right?"

Rex's eyes snapped back to his screen. "Of course. Are you?"

_No_. "You first."

This time, Rex flashed him a look that made it clear he was unamused. "I just went, hence the reason I asked you."

"But you lied."

Rex's lips pursed.

"Come on, Rex, I saw you back there. It's okay not to be okay."

With a strained sigh, Rex lowered his datapad. "I just don't want to talk about it, all right?"

"None of us do," Fives returned. "But… I'm always here if you ever want to."

"I don't."

Fives lifted his hands in surrender. "Fine. But I'm still here all the same."

That put a small smile on Rex's face. "Thanks."

Fives nodded, excusing himself as Rex went back to his reports.

No longer drawn to the campfire, Fives wandered about the camp, passing guards on patrol and soldiers preparing for tomorrow's battle.

Just when he'd decided to turn in early, he noticed Cody walking his way. More like stomping, Fives noted with apprehension.

"What's all this talk I hear going on about Umbara?"

Fives swallowed, being in no mood for the commander's wrath.

"Someone brought it up tonight." He shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "But it's nothing. I'm sure the talk will die down soon."

Cody grunted. "See that it does."

"I will, sir. You can count on it."

With a nod, Cody moved to leave, but Fives found he wasn't quite finished.

"Did you know about Rex?"

Despite the dark camp, Fives could tell the commander was rolling his eyes as he pulled to a halt before he'd gone more than two feet.

"What about Rex?" His tone was sharp, protective, and impatient.

"About his hair."

"If I wanted to pull teeth, trooper, I would've switched professions from soldier to dentist."

"That blond is its original color."

Cody's next words flew out on a heavy sigh. "Yes, Fives, I knew. I was there. I was only one year ahead of Rex in the academy. Let me guess, you didn't?"

Muted by a barrage of feelings he didn't know how to handle, Fives shook his head.

"Look, I told you not to take it personally, all right? Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go make sure my general doesn't pass out in a hole somewhere."

Fives couldn't suppress his wince in time. "That bad, huh?"

Cody scoffed. "He had a kriffing shard of shrapnel jammed down his back!" Muttering a string of expletives, he quickly disappeared into the night.

_"Don't take it personally."_

Fives shook his head.

_Yeah, I'm trying not to._

_I'm trying…_

But was he, really?


	5. Chapter Five

For the seventh time that morning, Rex checked the chrono on his wrist guard.

“Let me guess…” Cody’s voice was drenched in dry amusement and a twinge of boredom. “Two minutes have passed. No, wait. Three and a half.”

“Four,” Rex replied with a sigh. “What’s taking them so long?”

“Hey, it’s not easy to sneak into a Separatist base, much less a droid factory.”

“Yeah…” Rex drummed his fingers against his blaster, which he’d kept clenched tightly in his hand since he and Cody had parked their platoons behind a rock formation no more than a klick from the factory.

“It’s been more than fifteen minutes, Cody,” Rex reasoned.

“So what?” The commander cocked a brow. “They should’ve been there and back by now? Come on, vod, you’re starting to sound like General Styrne.”

And he didn’t want to flinch. Oh, how he didn’t want to flinch at the flippant words!

But he did. He felt his body go instantly rigid, so much so that he nearly stopped breathing altogether.

_"You sound just like General Krell!"_

Swallowing, Rex couldn’t help but eye Kix out of the corner of his eye. And instinctive motion that had the medic glancing back at him in confusion.

So. He hadn’t overheard the conversation, then. That was just as well. It was a bitter memory shared between them, one Rex was loath to bring up even to attempt to make it right.

_"You sound just like General Krell…"_

And he’d left the wounded behind seemingly without a second thought as well, just like General—

But he _had_ thought about it. He still did. Every man lost on Umbara was a scar on Rex’s heart.

A sudden hand on his shoulder caused him to jerk away, his breaths racing against the quick beat of his heart.

“Hey, Rex,” Cody said, recoiling as if bitten by a nexu. “Take it easy. Are you all right?”

Tup and Jesse were looking at him now, along with Kix, whose concerned eyes had never left Rex’s.

 _Great._ That was just what he needed, his men thinking he was having a mental breakdown minutes before the most important battle of their campaign.

Sucking in a breath, Rex flicked his gaze back out towards the factory, longing for the blessed mask of the helmet that lay discarded at his feet.

“I never said that, Cody,” he ground out, feeling the overwhelming need to set the record straight. “All I said was that it’s been a long time. I _never_ said—”

“All right. Okay, you didn’t say it,” Cody returned, his tone gentle. “I did.”

Rex nodded, keeping his eyes on the distant factory.

“I’m just wondering why it’s a problem…”

Teeth grinding in self-recrimination, Rex spared his brother a quick glance. “It’s not.”

Clearly dissatisfied with this answer, Cody shot him a look that told Rex they would be talking about this later.

_If there even is a later…_

That was the thing about their job, this war. None of them could count on coming back from a battle.

No one could say with confidence that they would walk away with their life in hand at the end of each day.

Except for Dogma, who’d always bragged about the way he would march out of the war like a true soldier and retire with dignity.

“Retire?” Fives had scoffed. “None of us are gonna just retire, Dogma.”

“And why not?” the rookie had snapped back. “What’s there to keep us fighting after we win the war?”

“Someone’s overly confident today.”

“What, you guys don’t think we’ll win?” Tup’s small voice had shut them all up, allowing his batchmate to flash a self-righteous smirk and march out of the room.

It took all Rex’s self-control to keep his eyes from squeezing shut at the memory. Things had been easier back then. Before Umbara.

Before Rex was doomed to lie awake every night wondering what might have happened if he’d been the one to pull the trigger on that barve. If he hadn’t failed his men, if he’d only done his duty at Captain.

_Then maybe Dogma would still be here. Maybe Fives and Jesse would still be ribbing him for his uptight and by-the-book ways._

Maybe Rex’s insides wouldn’t be eating him alive for failing to protect his little brother.

He gripped tightly to his blasters, which were now out of their holsters and at the ready.

While the others had gone back to their own preparations, Cody still watched him like a shriek-hawk.

 _Come on, Rik,_ he silently pressed his brother. _Get out of there…_

This time, Rex didn’t flinch when Cody put a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey,” he began softly, “you’re not going to lose him, okay?”

“You don’t know that.”

“No, but I believe it.” Here, Cody offered him a reassuring smile. “And the general and I have worked with General Styrne before. He’s very… _overprotective_ of his men and his Padawan, though you’d never know it just by looking at him. Trust me, he won’t let anything happen to Rik.”

Images of the way the 323rd had bolted to attention the previous night flooded Rex’s brain.

_Sure…_

“Anything from General Kenobi?”

Cody shook his head. “They’re still engaged in their distraction ten klicks to the north.”

Because if the Seps thought the bulk of their forces were caught in a squirmish a good distance from the factory, they would be less likely to suspect a move from the rest of the troops.

It was a good plan, though Rex was glad he hadn’t been the one to think of it. That way, if it backfired, he wouldn’t get blamed.

 _Stop it!_ He shook his head to clear it. That was Umbara talking. No one here would ever blame him for a failed strategy just as no blame would fall on general Kenobi’s shoulders for this.

_But we aren’t going to fail. Rik is gonna plant the bombs and we’ll all be out of here before—_

The shrill chime of his comlink sent his heart racing again, right after he’d just succeeded in calming it from his earlier memories.

“Captain Rex, here.”

The frantic voice on the other end barely gave him time to finish speaking.

“Captain!” While undoubtedly a brother on the other end, the voice was unfamiliar to Rex and his heart seized. _Where’s Rik?_ “It’s all gone to hell, sir! We need back up!”

Cody was already getting the men in formation as Rex replied.

“Where are you in the factory? Send me your exact coordinates!”

“Yes, si—!” The faint echo of a scream tore through the speaker and Rex’s heart jolted.

“Trooper? Trooper!” He shouted into the comm. “What are the coordinates?” With a curse, Rex switched channels. “Rik?” Nothing. “Captain Rik, this is Rex! Do you read me?” No reply. Just static. “Kriff!”

“All right, men!” Cody commanded. “We’re going in! The Seps already know what they’re trying to do, but they don’t know about _us_. And you’ll do everything you can to keep it that way if you want to walk out of this alive, understood?”

A chorus of _yes, sir_ s filled the air as the men tugged on their helmets and whipped out their blasters.

Cody’s eyes landed on Rex next. “Ready?”

The captain jerked his head towards the factory. “Let’s get out of here.”

As they crossed the rocky terrain, Rex only hoped they wouldn’t be too late.

* * *

“This never would’ve happened if the commander were here!”

Two droids sparked and collapsed as his blasters smoked. There was no rest for the weary, however, and seconds later, he was firing again. And again. And again. But the tin terrors kept advancing towards his men, his brothers.

“She could never have handled this and you know it!”

He rolled his eyes beneath the helmet, never ceasing his fire for even a moment.

They were everywhere, closing in on the tiny group from all angles. Outnumbered by B1 Battle Droids 262 to 1— _Geez, I sound like a protocol droid!_ —the captain doubled his efforts. There was no way he was going down like this, on some imbecilic stealth mission to capture a factory that wasn’t even finished yet.

 _The general’s words,_ he thought grimly. _Not mine_.

“She’s more clever than you give her credit for, sir!” he shouted over the chaos. “She’s a brilliant strategist, an excellent fighter, and a skilled Jedi.”

“She’s a Padawan, Captain! The frontline is hardly the place for her!”

The general’s lightsaber blazed a golden yellow as it sliced easily through a line of droids, sending a spray of matching gold sparks raining down on his men.

“This is the _best_ place for her!”

“You do _not_ know what’s best for her! You are not her Mast—Get back!”

An invisible hand shoved the captain into a darkened corridor, where he watched his brothers get shot down one by one with bright red blaster bolts. Seconds later, his world exploded in a blast of white light.

“Fall back!” He heard someone say over the ringing in his ears. Though the unexpected bomb had dissipated long ago, he couldn’t get his body to move. “Fall back!”

But he was back… He… He had to move.

Didn’t he? Didn’t…

“Are you all right, Captain?” The general’s voice sounded distant, garbled.

“Sir—?” Someone was hauling him to his feet before he could even finish his reply. The buzz of the saber mixed with the low hum clogging his mind.

“Captain!”

_What…? Just leave me alone, sir. It’s what you do best…_

“Leave me, sir…” He said aloud as the Jedi dragged him further into the safety of the corridor, deflecting blaster bolts whenever he was able.

He could almost see the general’s raised brow, so familiar was he with the condescending gesture. “Do you really wish me to?”

“No,” the captain replied, tone as tight as his pursed lips.

“I didn’t think so. Now, can you stand?”

In answer, the captain pulled himself to his feet with a grunt, which was his failed attempt at biting back a moan. And was it simply the after effects of the explosion, or did his general really just extend a hand out to him?

It was his stubborn streak that forbade him from accepting it, but his brain attributed the brush off to other reasons.

Reasons he’d wrestled with for far too long.

_Far too long…_

And in the end, one could only take so much.

Too bad the end had yet to arrive…

Rik fingered the thermal detonator clipped to his belt as he followed the general blindly through the thinning stream of blaster fire.

_Too bad…_

_It’s just too bad, isn’t it?_


	6. Chapter Six

“Would you knock it off, Appo?” Fives shot his brother his best annoyed glare. “You’re giving me anxiety just watching  _ your _ anxiety!”

The sergeant finished his last round of pacing before finally coming to rest on the flat rock beside Fives.

“I just don’t want to mess this up.”

“The plan is foolproof! Trust me, they’ll be fine.” Still, the ARC risked a quick glance at his general, who stood a few feet away, arms crossed as he gazed out over the edge of the cliff. “You just need to  _ relax _ .”

“I’m trying!”

“No, you’re not. You’re acting like a shiny and it’s driving me nuts!”

The bombs had been installed ages ago; now all that was left to do was wait.

Fives had always hated waiting.

Apparently, so did Appo.

The ARC had never been close with this particular brother, getting turned off quickly by his overly serious, all business manner. Recently, however, Fives had begun to notice small cracks in his brother’s hardened shell. A bit of anxiety here, a smidge of unchecked stress there…

“What if we crush them?” Appo’s voice was so quiet, Fives almost missed the fearful words.

“That’s why we synced our chronos. So we wouldn’t.”

“But what happens when something goes wrong?”

“Don’t you mean  _ if _ ?”

At this, Appo shot him a look. “Something  _ always _ goes wrong.”

“That’s not true,” Fives replied, furrowing his brows. “That’s—”

But Appo was already up and wandering towards the edge, no doubt to get a better view of the battle unfolding below.

Cody’s men were ankle deep in droid parts, taking down every tinnie that set foot outside the factory. Rex had disappeared inside not ten minutes ago with his own platoon.

With a frown, Fives realized that Appo had been right. Something  _ had _ gone wrong. Now the sergeant was just waiting for a second failure to follow the first.

“Look, as soon as Rex gets General Styrne’s men out of there, they’ll give us the all clear. We won’t detonate the bombs until they do, all right? It’ll be fine.”

“But it wasn’t…” Appo whispered, adding another hairline fracture to his hard outer shell as he swallowed thickly.

Chest gripping, Fives was afraid to pose any sort of follow-up question. Fortunately, he didn’t have to.

“It had to stand on a cliff and watch my brothers fight to their deaths,” he went on slowly, never taking his eyes off the battle. “I had the reinforcements all set up. I had them…  _ Stang _ ! They were right  _ there _ .” Another swallow. “I had them ready… I needed to help you guys. I needed to… And he wouldn’t let me. He just…  _ watched _ from that kriffing cliff as his soldiers died. And he wouldn’t let me do anything about it.”

It didn’t take long for Fives to figure out what his brother was going on about. He remembered that battle fought in that world of darkness. He recalled watching Rex contact General Krell, practically pleading for reinforcements.

And Rex  _ never _ pleaded. Ever.

His hand was on Appo’s shoulder in seconds. “We were never his men, vod. We were never  _ his _ men.”

A tight nod was all the reply he received, and just like that, the conversation was over.

After Appo’s impromptu confession, Fives couldn’t help but notice the similarities between the shared memory and the situation unfolding below their feet.

The three of them just stood there, waiting to play their part while the rest of their brothers fought and died on the rocky battlefield below. Not to mention the chaos happening  _ inside _ the droid factory—the chaos into which Rex had so skilfully led his brothers.

_ Please let them be safe. Please— _

A sharp hiss from Anakin shattered Fives’ thoughts. Both soldiers turned to face their general.

“Sir?” Fives began, uncertain on how to best help the Jedi, who was clutching at his head and groaning. “What’s happening?”

Over the few short years he’d served alongside the Jedi, Fives had learned quickly to respect the strong feelings given to them through the Force. He didn’t doubt something was wrong. Very wrong.

It was just a matter of waiting for Anakin to fill them in and hoping that, whatever the trouble was, wouldn’t affect the safety of his brothers trapped inside the factory.

After another pained intake of breath, Anakin opened his eyes, which had glazed over, and glanced at his troopers.

“Sir?”

“I can’t— _ agh! _ ” Okay, now the general was  _ really _ beginning to scare Fives. “A J-Jedi…” He breathed, still clutching at his hair. “He’s…  _ Gah! _ he’s in so much pain! He… He’s  _ dying _ . Kriff, why am I feeling this? Why me? Why—?” He broke off his pained mutterings in favor of sucking in another breath.

Fives’ felt his blood run cold. “G-General Kenobi?”

To his immense relief, Anakin shook his head. “No… it would feel… feel different if it was Obi-Wan.”

Well, there was only one other Jedi within range of… whatever sort of range these strange Jedi Force connections worked within.

It was Appo who spoke next, stealing Fives’ words right out of his dry mouth.

“General Styrne, sir?”

Anakin’s eyes told them all they needed to know, their usually bright blue dimmed to a dull grey by a pain that Fives hoped he would never see reflected in his general’s orbs again.

Swallowing, Fives turned back to the battle, fingering the detonator on his belt.

This was not going to end well, he could sense it as clearly as the cloudless sky overhead.

And he wasn’t even Force Sensitive.

* * *

“Rik? This is Captain Rex, can you hear me?”

Firing his blaster down a line of droids, Rex continued to shout into his comlink despite the loud static he received in return.

“Rik!”

_ Come on, vod! Answer me! Where are you…? _

“Behind you, Captain!” Jesse’s warning came just in time for Rex to shift his aim, putting a clean, simmering hole through the head of an approaching droid.

_ Better them than us, _ he thought grimly as he plowed through the line, taking down two at a time. And still, the tinnies kept coming.

_ “Where are they all coming from?” _ He heard Tup cry through the comm channel in his helmet.

“I mean,” Jesse returned, a biting edge to his voice as he dodged off towards Rex’s right, droid poppers in hand, “it’s almost as if they were manufactured here, or something.”

_ “Haha.” _ Though he didn’t currently have eyes on his littlest brother, Rex could practically see his deadpan. _ “You’re hilarious.” _

“Someone has to be,” Jesse shot back, his tone taking on a more humorous edge now. “On your left, Captain!”

Another dodge pulled Rex deeper into the chaos. They were getting nowhere.

And Rik still wasn’t answering his comm.

Rex refused to believe the man was dead, however, and continued to scream into his comm.

“Captain!” Jesse called. “We’ve gotta get out of here!”

“Not until we find General Styrne!” Rex ordered as he downed four more droids.

_ “How do we know he’s even still alive?” _ a shiny asked over the comm.

“He’s a Jedi,” Jesse replied easily. “Of course, he’s still alive.”

Yes, Rex had no doubt that the Jedi lived, he only wished he could say the same of Rik.

“Just keep your eyes open, men!” He commanded as he led his troops around the next corner of the dimly lit factory. “Holler the second you set eyes on a 323rd soldi—”

For one brief, horrific moment, Rex’s fingers ceased their endless tugging on the triggers as his entire body went rigid at the sight before him.

Nearly the entire squad of undercover soldiers lay broken and beaten on a carpet of droids. The life-giving rise and fall of their chests remained absent even as Rex strained his eyes in the hopes of catching even a glimpse of life.

Nothing.

The high-pitched, metallic voice of a droid broke the suffocating spell that had fallen upon him and Rex glanced up.

“See?” the pinhead said to his companion, gesturing towards the clone troopers. “I  _ told _ you something was going on in there!”

Rex made certain his companion never got the chance to reply, blasting their thin heads off before they could even raise their own blasters.

“Kix!” he called. “I need a survivor check in here  _ now _ !”

_ “Copy that, Captain!” _

_ Please, _ Rex begged whoever or whatever was listening,  _ don’t let him be dead. He can’t be… _ The cruelest form of fate would be to give Rex back his last batchmate, only to let Death’s sharp claws snatched him away again.

And Fate hadn’t exactly been kind to Rex as of late.

Despite his order being directed at Kix, Rex began checking the felled troopers for vital signs in between shots.

“The general…” The strangled whisper would have been lost on Rex if he hadn’t been crouching so close to the gasping trooper. He’d spotted the clone struggling to roll over amidst the battle and had quickly summoned Kix over. “The c-captain.”

“Where?” Rex pressed as Kix jabbed a hypo into the trooper’s neck. “Where are they?”

“I s-saw them… I did… Over there.” Rex’s eyes followed the man’s pointing finger. “They disappeared a-after… the explosion.”

Breathing suddenly became a chore and Rex caught Kix eyeing him carefully.

“Get him and the others to safety,” he ordered.

“There are no others.”

Rex pursed his lips into a thin line. “Get him out of here, then, and tell the others to prepare for retreat.”

Kix nodded. “What are you gonna do?”

He caught sight of the medic out of the corner of his helmet visor. Kix knew him too well. Or perhaps it was merely the hint of loss and desperation lacing his voice that gave his motives away.

Blasters at the ready, Rex mentally scouted the quickest route through the firefight. “I’m going after them.”

“Take Jesse with you.”

Rex shook his head. “It’ll be easier if I go alone; easier to slip away unnoticed.”

Another nod, though this one was less enthusiastic.

“Jesse,” Rex said into his comm, “I’m going to make a break for the second corridor on the right. Cover me, will you?”

_ “Sure thing, Captain!” _

“On my go.” Sucking in a quick breath, Rex gave the signal and Jesse’s barrage of bolts held off the advancing droids long enough for Rex to slip through their scattered line and into the corridor.

Immediately upon entering the dark tunnel-like hall, Rex felt an ominous surge of dread tug at his chest.

It was too dark; too quiet. Even the screams and chaos of the battle he’d left behind seemed muted, distant.

Overall, something felt  _ wrong _ . Terribly wrong.

He wanted to call out for Rik, but his tongue refused to cooperate with his mind. For the first time in his short life, Rex found himself wishing he was a Jedi. Then, he could simply reach out and sense Rik, finding him easily through the Force.

Instead, he turned on his helmet floodlights, dimming them to the lowest setting so as not to draw too much unwanted attention to himself. Not that there were any droids around, but Rex was a pro at playing it safe.

“Rik?” Though the name came out as a hoarse whisper, he gave himself credit for finally  _ speaking _ . The next call was louder, and the one after that, even more so.

“Rik! Come on, vod, where are you…?”

A faint scuffle pricked his ears followed by the familiar echo of a blaster going off. Then, silence. Rex found he couldn’t move his feet fast enough.

_ I’m coming… I’m coming! _

When he slid to a stop around the next darkened corner, relief flooded over him so quick and heavy that he nearly choked underneath it all.

“Rik!” He breathed, pulling off his helmet in order to better see his brother—and to fill his lungs with fresh gulps of much-needed air.

Rik, for his part, looked a little worse for wear, but showed no signs of any life-threatening injuries—at least, none that Rex could  _ see _ . Rik was standing, he was  _ breathing _ , he was alive.

Rex allowed himself one final sigh of relief before holstering his blasters.

“What happened to your comm?” It was a stupid, on-the-surface small talk question, but it was the best Rex could come up with.  _ "Where have you been? What happened? And are you all right?" _ all remained lodged tightly in the back of his throat.

Rik made no reply, instead, he gripped his blaster pistol tightly in one hand and eased off his helmet with the other.

It was only then that Rex noticed the general.

_ Oh…  _ **_kriff_ ** _ … _

The entire south section of the corridor had collapsed in what could only have been a Separtist explosion, though why they would want to blow up their own factory just to keep it out of Republic hands was beyond Rex.

Lodged beneath the rubble was Jedi General Stryne. Or, at least, the upper half of him, his other half having been completely buried during the explosion. Rex swallowed as he seized up the general’s condition. Half the Zabrak’s face was gone, eaten over by an angry bubble of scorched flesh. His arm was bent at the most unnatural of angles and his head lolled to the side.

While all this turned Rex’s stomach, it was the smoking hole in the center of the general’s forehead that made his heart stop.

Because Rik was still clutching tightly to his own smoking blaster.

“Rik…” Rex blinked, trying desperately to make sense of it all, to not jump to conclusions. “What…?”

It was the pain in Rik’s eyes, the fear, that oddly calmed Rex’s frying nerves.

“I had to do it, Rex,” he whispered, voice breaking.

So, he’d been right. Rik  _ had _ shot the general. Straight through the front of his brain.

“ _ Why _ ?” What could possibly drive a trooper to kill his commanding officer?

Rex’s mind instantly supplied the memory of Dogma putting a hole through Krell’s head.

_ Oh, kriff! _ Rik was going to get sent away for this… It would never stand in court, not when it was a clone against a vaping  _ Jedi _ .

_ There won’t  _ **_be_ ** _ any court hearing. Not for a clone. _

_ Oh, kriff… _

“Rik?” His heart was beating fast now, pumping blood down his veins faster than his body could find something to do with it, and it was making him sick. Or maybe it was the sight of Styrne’s bloody corpse and Rik’s incriminating stance that was flushing wave after wave of nausea into his stomach.

“I had to,” his brother replied as Rex watched his expression morph from pained contortion to a stony blank.

Rex glanced back at Styrne in disbelief.  _ He did it on purpose…? _ He swallowed before turning to Rik, eyes wide.

“I  _ had _ to kill him, Rex,” he continued.

Rex just shook his head. This wasn’t happening…  _ This isn’t happening! _

“Why, Rik? Why?”

“Because I had no choice.” His brother sucked in a breath before pressing on and Rex found himself holding his, despite the screaming of his lungs. “The Seps had us cornered, my men were dropping like flies left and right. There was an explosion and the general pulled me into this corridor before  _ I _ got shot like my brothers. He must’ve sensed the bombs because the next thing I knew, he was Force-pushing me out of the way. By the time I came too, he was lying just as he is now. His back was broken and he was screaming.”

_ No, no,  _ **_no_ ** _! This can’t be happening! _

“I tried to pull him out, thinking I could drag him to safety, but he wouldn’t let me,” Rik went on. “He just kept screaming that he couldn’t stand it and that he didn’t wanna live. I wanted to go for help, but he wouldn’t let me. He wouldn’t  _ let me _ , Rex!” A thick gasp left Rik’s lungs as he dropped his blaster on the ground as if suddenly repulsed by all it represented. “He begged me. He  _ begged _ me to finish him off!”

Rex found his eyes drifting once more towards the downed general.  _ Oh, kriff. _

“He wouldn’t let go of me! He forced me to do it. I had no choice!”

“Oh, Rik…”

His brother didn’t look at him, fixing his gaze instead on the floor, face still carved from stone.

“You know me, Rex.” His voice was no more than a whisper. “You know I wouldn’t have done it if I had any other choice. You do know that, don’t you?” Rex wasn’t so sure he did. “You would’ve done the  _ same _ thing if it had been you!”

Would he have?  _ Could _ he have…?

_ "Your hands are shaking," _ Krell’s cruel voice echoed through his tormented mind.  _ No, no! Stop it! _

Rex swallowed. “Rik, I… Do you have any idea what’s going to happen because of this?”  _ Dogma… You couldn’t save Dogma because of this. Because of a situation just like  _ **_this_ ** _! _

Now, Rik’s once dull eyes blazed. “You know I had no choice!”

“But  _ they _ won’t!” Rex shot back, his simmering emotions finally boiling over. “It was a case of a clone against a Jedi, Rik! You  _ know _ who always wins in that situation!” Because even while in the grave, Krell had still won. Dogma was gone. Krell had won… “All the Senate is gonna see is a clone who killed his commanding officer. Even if it  _ was _ because you had no choice, it won’t matter to them.”

Taken suddenly aback, a cloud of distrust gathered in Rik’s eyes. “You don’t believe me, vod?”

Did he? He wanted to… He  _ did _ , but…

“Of course, I believe you,” Rex replied with a heavy sigh that seemed to take with it all his previous vigor as it brushed past his lips. “But you don’t have the rights you need to fight against this in court.”

“Who says anyone’s going to take this to court?”

“Stryne’s Padawan might.”

Rik shook his head with a certain bit of confidence Rex couldn’t place. “She won’t. She’s not the kind.”

“Okay, but what happens when the word gets out? Someone’s gonna hear about this sooner or later, vod, don’t tell me you didn’t think of that.”

Rik was in his face now, jabbing a finger into his blue-painted chest plate. “I didn’t think of  _ anything _ except my general and his pain! And trying to get him to see reason! But I couldn’t, all right? I failed, I know I did! but I am  _ not _ going to suffer for this. I refuse to pay the price for something I didn’t want to do! He  _ made _ me do it, Rex, can’t you see that?”

A low rumble shook the ground, reminding Rex of the imminent danger that awaited them down the corridor.

“All right, all right!” Rex hissed, snatching up Rik’s blaster and handing it to him. “We’ll figure it all out later. Right now, we’ve gotta get out of here before this whole factory is blown sky high.”

“Wait!” Rik called as Rex began retreating back down the hall.

Stopping, he glanced back as his brother quickly reached down and unclipped Generals Styrne’s lightsaber from his belt.

“For Silia,” he said with a sad nod.

_ Right. _ Rex had almost forgotten about Commander Cotyn.

Finally, they were running down the hall and away from the disaster they’d left behind. Part of Rex felt guilty for not trying to save the body. He knew how highly the Jedi held their funerals. They would miss not being able to create a proper pyre, especially Commander Cotyn… 

_ Kriff!  _ It was all so messed up, Rex hardly knew which aspect to worry about first.

_ My vod. My brother. _ He glanced at Rik out of the corner of his now helmet-hidden eyes.  _ My brothers come first.  _ They always did.

And if Rex was certain of only one thing, it was that he wouldn’t fail Rik like he failed Dogma. No Kaminoan would take his batchmate away for reconditioning… or  _ decommissioning… _

Rex set his jaw. No, he would  _ not _ fail Rik. Not when he’d just got him back again.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Totally forgot that I low key imploded the Negotiator flagship in the Crucible... So, meet the Negotiator II. XD Because why would Obi-Wan change the name of his ship when it’s so perfect?

The sight of the factory imploding and its subsequent burial by the mountain felt far more satisfying than Cody would ever let on. Even more satisfying was the way Rex and his team came dashing out of the main doors at the last possible second.

It was only then that he allowed himself to release the breath he’d been holding. His vod’ika was safe; he could ease up on the worrying.

For now.

“That’s the last of it, boys!” He shouted to his troops, holstering his blaster. “We’re done here!”

A whoop of joy echoed across the rocky half-canyon and Cody couldn’t hold back a smile of his own.

They were done here.  _ Finally. _ With the battle now out of the way, Cody could focus on getting his troops and his general off that miserable planet, preferably before nightfall.

Yes, they’d be out of there in no time and on their way back to Coruscant for a much-needed furlough.

_ Only in your dreams, _ a voice in the back of his head reminded him.  _ No doubt the Senate has another mission waiting for you the second you set foot on the _ Negotiator II.

_ No. _ The commander pursed his lips as he watched his men do a quick clean up of the battlefield, Helix and Boil getting what few wounded survived to a quiet place on the outskirts.  _ No. _

_ His _ dreams were never that pleasant. Unless you could stick nightmares of shooting down your own Jedi in cold blood into that category.

Cody suppressed a shiver. This was neither the time nor place to reflect on night terrors. His general would be arriving soon with their gunships, having successfully disbanded the Separatist forces he’d taken on during his little “distraction.”

Then, they could all go home.

_ Home… _

“What should we do with all these droid parts?”

Turning, Cody came face-to-face with one of the 212th’s newest shinies. Flashpoint, was it? He was pretty sure the vode just called him Pointer, which didn’t make any sense to Cody.  _ A more appropriate nickname would’ve been Flash, but… _

Shrugging mentally, he tugged his helmet off. “Nothing. The Seps’ll come and clean up their own mess later.”

Even beneath his glinting white mask, the kid seemed uncertain. “What if some wild animal comes across them in the meantime?”

Raising an eyebrow, Cody silently prompted him to continue.

“I mean…” The kid was wringing his hands now, clearly nervous.  _ Oh, please. I’m not  _ **_that_ ** _ intimidating. _ “What if they try to eat them?”

Cody’s tone was unimpressed at best. “Eat them?”

The kid nodded. “And what if they… I dunno… choke, or something?”

_ Oh, are we seriously having this conversation? _

“Look, Pointer,” Cody replied, resisting the stong urge to massage his temple, “no wild animal is going to be stupid enough to sniff out battle remains that aren’t even a day old yet. And if they do, well, we can only hope they’re clever enough not to hurt themselves, all right?”

A reluctant nod, then Pointer saluted and dismissed himself, which was  _ definitely _ against protocol, but Cody was simply too tired to care.

Five minutes. That was Obi-Wan’s ETA and Cody fought to keep the bounce out of his gait as such movements would betray his impatience.

At least catching up with Rex and his vode would help pass the time. Destroying the factory had been relatively easy, all things considered. Cody shivered as he recalled the Second Battle of Geonosis. He never wanted to see his general in such a terrible state again. The Jedi couldn’t even stand when he’d given the second briefing—and Obi-Wan  _ never _ sits during briefings.

“Commander!” Boil’s sharp voice was bogged down by a hint of depression, a rare tone for the sarcastic sergeant. “They’re coming, sir!”

Whipping around just slow enough so as not to wrench his neck, Cody caught sight of Rex, followed closely by Captain Rik. Kix and Jesse hobbled just behind them, the only other indigo painted trooper slung between their arms.

Cody refused to let his shoulders sag. He was a commander, he lost soldiers nearly every kriffing day. But this…

Ten men had gone on that stealth mission, and here only two were coming back.  _ Only two… _

He didn’t run to them, he simply stood, waiting calmly like propper commander he was. Meanwhile, his heart raced, his brain screamed, and memory tried to recall just how many men he’d lost this time.

“Rex,” he began as his brother approached—and no, he wasn’t staggering… He was just…  _ dragging _ a little.

Rex nodded, huffing as he pulled his weary body to a stop.

“General Kenobi is coming soon with the gunships,” Cody went on, noting the way his brother kept his helmet on when he normally would have taken it off. Rex, he knew, preferred to breathe in “sweet fresh air” after a battle, something every brother could understand.

Another nod.

Cody kept his expression neutral. Something was wrong. There was something Rex wasn’t saying—though, he honestly wasn’t saying much of anything, for that matter.

When the revelation hit, it stole almost all the air from his lungs.

He could barely get his next words out. “Where’s General Styrne?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rik stiffen slightly.

“Captain,” he addressed the 323rd soldier when no one made any move to reply, his voice harder now, “where is your general?”

Nothing.

“Report, Captain!”

And a captain reported, all right, just not the one Cody was speaking to.

“He’s dead,” Rex began, voice overly neutral. “Killed in an explosion.”

As if to emphasize this point, Rik stepped forward, the late general’s silver saber resting in his hand.

And for a brief moment, Cody had no words. There was no way to properly voice the emotions now swirling inside him.

_ That easily could’ve been Kenobi, _ he realized with a pang.  _ Oh, kriff, if there had only been a slight change in the planning. If the general had been the one to head the undercover mission… _ He didn’t want to even think about it, it was too horrible.

But Obi-Wan was strong.  _ He never would’ve let an explosion cut him down. _

Cody sucked in a breath.

_ We all have to go sometime, _ the back of his mind hissed at him.  _ And Obi-Wan isn’t invincible. _

_ None of us are. _

It killed him to admit it, but neither could he deny it. Not when the proof was standing right infront of him.

“And there were no other survivors?” Cody asked, hoping Rex didn’t catch the gulp that lodged in his throat on the way down.

“Just us,” Rex replied, turning his helmet to face the ragtag platoon gathered behind him, which had quite obviously been reduced by half. “What about you?”

Cody didn’t risk a glance back at his boys. “No more casualties than usual.”

Rex nodded and Cody pursed his lips.  _ No more than usual. _

_ Blast it! _ He shouldn’t be losing  _ any _ of his men, his brothers. Were they truly just bred to fight and die without a second thought or glance?

“Well,” Cody began, clearing his throat, the gunships appearing as tiny black specks in the distance, “I’ll tell General Kenobi when he—”

“No,” Rik spoke up, brushing past Rex in order to meet Cody face-to-face. “I was there when it happened. I’ll tell him.”

“Are you sure?” Cody knew that if he could see the face beyond Rex’s mask, he’d find it tight and pinched.

Rik simply nodded, taking a page out of Rex’s book of eerie silence.

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“I think I manage, vod.”

“Really?” A hint of distrust clouded Rex’s tone and it made Cody want to drag him off to the side and force whatever secret he was hiding out into the open.

“I was there,” Rik repeated firmly. “I know exactly what happened. Don’t stress yourself.”

Rex mumbled something incoherent and Cody suddenly found himself battling a pounding headache.

“You’re  _ both _ giving  _ me _ stress,” he said, resisting the urge to pinch at the bridge of his nose. “It doesn’t matter who tells the general, just figure it out before he arrives, will you? I swear you all take a year off my life every blasted day.”

_ Every blasted day… _ And while his irritation had been directed mainly at Rik, he noticed the way Rex stiffened slightly.

_ Every kriffing  _ **_day._ **

As the two captains argued amongst themselves, Cody wondered what in the Seven Hells his little brother had gotten himself into this time.

* * *

Ahsoka had always hated being left out of the action. When she had been a green Padawan fresh off the ship on Christophsis, the need to be included drove her up the wall. Now that she had matured, however, she’d found these feelings had subdued with the passing of time.

Her Master had a reason for keeping her here. After all,  _ someone _ had to defend the camp. Still, it didn’t make the waiting any easier.

On top of this, Silia Cotyn wasn’t making for very good company. She was quiet, withdrawn, and despite Ahsoka’s efforts to make their rounds about the camp more enjoyable, Silia seemed to be making sure that their conversations never got past a handful of exchanges.

The young Togruta found herself longing for the company of her friend, Barriss Offee, on whom she could always count to start an invigorating conversation.

_ Maybe she’s just tired from the battle the other day. _ But that didn’t make much sense to Ahsoka seeing as Commander Cotyn had barely done any fighting.

As they walked on and on, she realized that Silia was one anomaly she didn’t feel up to cracking.

So, she simply sighed and allowed her thoughts to drift towards her Masters and Rex. With any luck, their battle should be coming to a close soon and they would be back before dinner time.

It was on their third round about the camp that it happened, chilling Ahsoka to the deepest part of her bones.

Silia stopped with a gasp mid-stride and began clutching at her head, pulling at her light pink hair with such intensity that Ahsoka feared she might tear it out completely.

“Silia!” Ahsoka fell to her knees mere seconds after the Pantoran collapsed on the ground. “What’s wrong? Are you all right?”

A dull scream was all the reply she received.

“Silia!” Heart racing, Ahsoka dared to reach out and touch the Padawan, but Silia jerked away, nearly slapping her in the process. “You need to tell me what’s wrong!”

A strangled cry tore from Silia’s throat and it seemed an eternity before she opened her eyes. The pain bleeding from her wide orbs struck Ahsoka to the core.

“He’s gone…”

_ No. _ And for the briefest of moments, Ahsoka thought she was talking about Anakin.  _ But wait— _

_ Why would she be feeling Master Skywalker? _

“O-Our bond…” she went on, her ragged mumble bordered on hysteria. “It’s gone. Oh, Force, it’s  _ gone _ ! Ahsoka! I can’t feel him, he’s—He’s  _ gone _ …”

“General Styrne,” Ahsoka muttered, causing Silia to choke back a sob at the name.

Because Jedi don’t cry.

They  _ don’t _ .

So why was the sight of her companion bringing tears to the front of her eyes? Why were they stinging her lids and threatening to fall any moment?

_ Because you thought it was Skyguy. You thought he was dead. _

And she couldn’t go through that again. Not so soon after her Master’s recovery from the disaster on Otumni.

Ahsoka didn’t know how long they knelt there, but it took a good long while for one of the 323rd sergeants to discover them. Even after he arrived and tried to speak to his Jedi, to get something— _ anything _ —out of her trembling frame, Ahsoka kept her hand on Silia’s back, rubbing circles across her robes in what she could only hope were soothing patterns.

“He’s gone… I can’t believe…”

Another choked sob lodged in Silia’s throat and Ahsoka continued to fight off her own tears.

_ Skyguy’s fine. It wasn’t him. It wasn’t… but General Styrne… _ Her heart bled for Silia. No Padawan should have to face such a monumental loss such as this.

Ahsoka’s thoughts went immediately to Master Obi-Wan words, from the one day she’d decided to ask about Master Jinn.  _ “The Master doesn’t always survive until the end…” _ She clenched a fist.  _ Well, they should. They should try harder to— _

But who was she kidding? This was war, a term synonymous with  _ unexpected _ .

And this was certainly unexpected.

“It’s going to be okay, Silia,” Ahsoka soothed, trying to ignore the shaken soldier beside her. “You’re going to be okay.”

Once again, Silia gazed up at her with those pain-coated orbs. “Would you be okay?” And Ahsoka would be lying if she said that didn’t hurt a little. “It’s not going to be fine, Ahsoka. My Master is gone. What hope is there for me now? No one will want to take on a Padawan my age!”

“Silia,” Ahsoka pressed, doing her best to keep her voice level, steady, “you need to calm down and think about this logically. You’re going to make yourself sick.”

“I’m already sick!” And the Pantoran  _ did _ look like she was about to lose her breakfast.

Fumbling for a response, something hopeful—something to distract from the pain of her shattered Force Bond—Ahsoka said, “You can take the trials. I’ve seen you on the battlefield and around the Temple. You’re more than ready.”

“I’ve never been further from ready for anything in my life! I can’t… Master Styrne told me—” Silia choked again, a horrible, gut-wrenching sound.

And this time, the tears came trickling down.

Ahsoka didn’t notice her own wet face until her hands unconsciously swiped the tears from her stinging cheeks.

Not for the first time, she began to question everything. The war; her entire existence; the Jedi…

_ Why? Why all this suffering? _ She blinked back a fresh wave of tears.  _ Haven’t we all gone through enough already? _

_ When will it all just  _ **_stop_ ** _? _


End file.
